What did you get for Christmas?

[SemperFi]

I received two cycling related gifts...a Pearl Izumi Barrier Jacket and a Cateye TL-LD1000 taillight.
But so much more important to me was to have my four children together in the same house at the same time to share a Christmas Eve dinner. Those of you with older children know how difficult it is to get everyone together once they've left the nest. It was a blessed night in more ways than one.

[bcoppola]

Cane Creek brake levers for my f/g conversion.

And of course, more "midsection aero contouring and energy reserves" from the turkey, sweet potatoes, gravy, desserts....

[capejohn]

A pair of slippers and 10 $1 lottery tickets.

[WillisB]

SPD Pedals, Lake Shoes, Topeak rack for my commuter bike.

[Artkansas]

The new Cat Stevens CD, an Animatrix video, several shirts, two jars of Trader Joe's mayonnaise, palm tree seeds and a pair of Freudian Slippers.

The bicycle got a new bulb for the headlight.

[fopianki]

I received two cycling related gifts...a Pearl Izumi Barrier Jacket and a Cateye TL-LD1000 taillight.
But so much more important to me was to have my four children together in the same house at the same time to share a Christmas Eve dinner. Those of you with older children know how difficult it is to get everyone together once they've left the nest. It was a blessed night in more ways than one.

I had the same experience last night. I also have 4 children ages 18 to 27 and also a 2 year old grandson (with another on the way!). Last night we were all together opening gifts, eating food and playing games. It is really hard to get them all together...in fact, we won't all be together today since my oldest son has to go back home to Ohio to work the evening shift at the hospital (he is an ER physician). Frankp

[fopianki]

I had the same experience last night. I also have 4 children ages 18 to 27 and also a 2 year old grandson (with another on the way!). Last night we were all together opening gifts, eating food and playing games. It is really hard to get them all together...in fact, we won't all be together today since my oldest son has to go back home to Ohio to work the evening shift at the hospital (he is an ER physician). Frankp


BTW...Oakley Half jacket sunglasses, Cateye wireless computer, Serfas seat bag and ...a brand new Serotta :D :love:

[stapfam]

If it is going to be cycle related- then I will be buying it myself. So looks like a new set of chainrings for the MTB, New bottom bracket for the Tandem- Possible a new computer for the road bike and a pair of thick insulated Boots for my feet- They were cold yesterday.

[CycleBob]

Son and daughter home for holidays. After the airing of grievances we'll proceed to feats of strength.

[sch]

An old friend, out of touch for 25yrs popped up recently as a tandem owner needing a stoker and an intro to modern bikes. He just started back riding a few months ago in a serious way, (with a century ride no less) and now realizes his '60s era steel bike is not upto snuff. Nice holiday gift to resume riding with a
old companion who time, family and career had separated ways.

[Digital Gee]

I didn't get a shiny new bike nor any biking accessories for Christmas this year, but I did get 72 degrees of sunshine for a good long ride!

[Big Paulie]

A nice, long phone coversation with my mother, who is 88, and a new seatpost from Wifey. I got her a Yoga/Cycling DVD, and she loves it! I did 32 miles yesterday, so that was my Christmas ride...

http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=121631&cat=270&brand=342

https://www.cy-yo.com/cy_live_dvd.asp

[Monoborracho]

Those of you with older children know how difficult it is to get everyone together once they've left the nest. It was a blessed night in more ways than one.

I received an '06 model red, white & blue Giro Atmos helmet and a long sleeve Performance jersey. Three of our four boys were here, and two of my wife's sisters. .

[Red Baron]

Mrs Baron gave me a 05 Cervelo P2 SL.

Got it off a friend & her husband. (He had best of intentions on doing tri's but no willpower). I had spoken of it, but didn't feel right to ask if he would sell it. Its got about 40 miles on it. He told me when I picked it up. 'the tires may be going bad, they lost air and the pump doesn't work.' I didn't tell him difference between scrhoeder and presta valves.

[DnvrFox]

Garmin Edge 305 GPS wireless downloadable with cadence and heart rate including training software. Man, I will have to get a step up in my training.

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2006/150/h150ED305BN.jpeg

Two sleeveless jerseys for next summer.

And a great movie and lunch yesterday with Andy, and delicious pot roast and conversation with Tim and Amy today at my house.

[Bud Bent]

I got an altimeter watch, front and rear bicycle lights, t-shirts, and a dvd tower. My wife's parents cancelled their trip from west Texas, due to bad weather between here and there, but the rest of the family was here, with one daughter just moved into her new apartment, and the other with her husband just home from Iraq. A joyous gathering, it was.

[will dehne]

I got a Treck Madone and I am riding on it Today, Christmas Day, in the rain, 67 F, in Florida on a trail.
Feel like a kid today.

[JanMM]

New mesh seatback for my 2000 Rans Tailwind. (Sound of non-recumbenters scratching their heads.)

[Ken Brown]

The new Cat Stevens CD, an Animatrix video, several shirts, two jars of Trader Joe's mayonnaise, palm tree seeds and a pair of Freudian Slippers.
OK, I give up. What are Freudian slippers? And a Cat Stevens CD? Is this a compilation of old material? If he is recording again, how is it?

Me, I got nothing bicycle-related, but both daughters came home for the holidays.

[sykerocker]

My bunch knows better than to try picking out actual gifts, so my tree was festooned with gift cards to a number of my favorite suppliers. Tomorrow, for the first time in my life, I actually will go out and shop on the day after Christmas. New shoes, tools, and sundry other equipment are going to be purchased.

Actually, my best Christmas gift hit the road Saturday for it's final debugging ride: Poguemahone from the net gave me a very clean 1969 Magneet Sprint frameset a couple of weeks ago, which I built into a pannier-carrying distance rider. Photo below:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/Magneet21.jpg

[SSP]

A really good book about the history of the bicycle (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-History-David-V-Herlihy/dp/0300120478/sr=8-1/qid=1167093767/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7073497-1019213?ie=UTF8&s=books), a Graham Watson calendar, and a gift certificate to www.biketiresdirect.com. Life is Good.

[sknhgy]

Carhart coveralls and a shop vac.

[jppe]

The gift that brought me closest to tears of joy was a framed collage of pictures of my kids and me over the past couple years that my kids gave me. It also included pictures from cycling, golfing, etc. My favorite of the group was a silhouette of my bike and me on the Blue Ridge Parkway. What a treasure......

[George]

Gift certifictate for Sun & Ski. Now to figure out what I need. Wont take long.

[roccobike]

The gift that brought me closest to tears of joy was a framed collague of pictures of my kids and me over the past couple years that my kids gave me. It also included pictures from cycling, golfing, etc. My favorite of the group was a silhouette of my bike and me on the Blue Ridge Parkway. What a treasure......
That sounds real nice JPPE. Beats what I got. A few DVD's, a Journey CD and some other small items.

[Coyote!]

Some Under Armor. . .love the stuff [bike content],
Joy of Cooking,
Oh, and a back scratcher 'cause folks got queezy watchin' me scratch with the spaghetti claw [see signature],
Oh and Helen Mirren got me a nice wool sweater [what a gal].

[Mojo Slim]

Mocassin slippers (haven't worn any since childhood), 3 Cds (John Mayer, Beatles "Love" & Clapton/J.J. Cale), RollingStone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time (Sgt Pepper #1), bottle of Brandy, etc. The only cycling-related gift was the news that my older daughter's husband and his friend built her bike from a Serotta frame. No details yet, but this means she has to ride the AIDS/LifeCycle SF to LA ride with me in June 07.

[CrossChain]

I can't really remember what I got...I had both "kids" in the house at once, got to cook all day with help from them, talk lots about nothing, tell stories about their grandparents and them as babies. Whatever is warm and intimate about Christmas happened at my house today. A very blessed time. And my daughter put a symbolic Clif bar in my stocking.

[robtown]

My spouse was going on about bike purchases so I put up several items for my gifts. Camelback Ares 70oz - big enough to carry work clothes. Dual CO2 / pump with extra 16g cartridges. Ergo MP1 grips. Toe covers.

I have a plan for the toe covers. Re-usable heat packs, 3"x5", tuck between toe cover and shoe. I'll see if they make a difference for sub 35F riding.

[Terex]

"Mocassin slippers (haven't worn any since childhood)" - aren't they the best??? I got a pair last summer in Gatlinburg (mtn bike vacation at Tsali in NC). Also, I'd mentioned a GPS unit to my wife at one point. She went to BikeForums, searched for GPS units, and, like DnvrFox, I now have a Garmin Edge 305 w/ HR & cadence. I got it a little before Christmas, so first ride was Christmas eve morning - 40 miles and almost 4,000 ft climbing. 21% gradient up Cherryville Hollow on a 39/25 - ouch!:eek:

[luv2cruz]

Some underwear, a new Calphalon skillet and a new Giro Monza helmet.

[Terex]

"I have a plan for the toe covers. Re-usable heat packs, 3"x5", tuck between toe cover and shoe. I'll see if they make a difference for sub 35F riding." A guy I ride with pulls out this little remote controller dealie at the beginning of yesterday's ride. He says "Hey, you guys know what this is?" We all shrug. He explains that it's a Sidi remote control for the heater in is Sidi shoes. He said that the battery is good for up to 4 hours. Unbelievable!

[Louis]

Lump of coal. :cry:

[sdr]

i got a columbia vest that i really love--a 'barista bear' from starbucks, who i've named beedee cuz he has beady little eyes, along with a gift card from same which will keep me buzzing on christian crank for a while.

oh yeah, i almost forgot--NOT--i also got a 2007 specialized crosstrail limited:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=07Crosstrail

it was a very merry xmas!

*sdr*

[oilman_15106]

My best gift was when my 15 month granddaughter ran over to the gift Santa(me) gave her and jumped on for a ride. In pink of course. http://www.razorama.com/blue-scuttle-bug.html

[centexwoody]

The best gift was sharing Christmas eve & Christmas day with family, cooking, making jokes, sharing presents.

A close second were the Park Pro bike pump & bike workstand from my dear wife as well as a blue/black Illuminite vest. The pump works great, the workstand I'm still figuring out & the vest is probably too small for me. A coupla pair boxer shorts, a 'Jake' long sleeve T shirt, DVD, peppermint bark, a wool scarf in our Scot's family tartan (McCall).

[Terrierman]

A lump of coal and a bundle of switches.

[leob1]

A Spin Doctor truing stand, no more "close enough" wheels using the brake pads.

[jppe]

Just getting around to doing some pics. Here is the Black & White picture that was one of my favorites in the collage my kids did for me. They really know their Dad.

Also here's a car sticker I had not seen before that was in my stocking.

[Artkansas]

OK, I give up. What are Freudian slippers? And a Cat Stevens CD? Is this a compilation of old material? If he is recording again, how is it?

Me, I got nothing bicycle-related, but both daughters came home for the holidays.

Freudian slippers are slippers that look like Sigmund Freud.

http://www.sciam.com/media/inline/000B3A9F-A31B-1384-A31B83414B7F0000_slippers.jpg

They are available that the unemployed philosophers guild (http://www.philosophersguild.com/index.lasso?page_mode=home)

Yes, Cat Stevens is recording again. He's adopted the name Yusuf Islam.
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/images/yusuf.jpg
I guess being turned back from entering America did something to him. You can sample some tunes at his website (http://www.yusufislam.com/). It includes a cover of the old Animals classic, "Please don't let me be Understood".

Speaking of the Animals, Eric Burdon (http://www.ericburdon.com/index.php?id=news)is doing good things these days. He lives out in the desert near Joshua Tree and Palm Springs. His newer stuff like Highway 62 is hot.

[Artkansas]

A lump of coal and a bundle of switches.

You did better than Louis. Santa must love you more.

[Digital Gee]

If a guy goes out this week and buys himself a new cycling something or other, does that count in terms of what did you get for Christmas?

[jwill911]

I got a Polar CS200cad cycle computer/HRM with cadance. Still trying to determine my max HR and how to use it without loosing my ride/exercise stats. I went out with the sound on and once I started climbing I was above my 65-80% target range and the beeping drove me nuts until I stopped and turned the sound off. Then it starts a new exercise/ride and I had to add the totals manually when I got home. Oh well the learning curve.

My son bought me the Chris Carmichael "5 Essentials for a Winning Life".

I bought myself some DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks, Pearl Izumi toe covers. And a Decente base layer sleeveless shirt off the 50% off table at the LBS for the cold weather. Still need some full finger gloves. Damn those brake levers get cold on the descents.

[centexwoody]

If a guy goes out this week and buys himself a new cycling something or other, does that count in terms of what did you get for Christmas?

absolutely! :D

[Retro Grouch]

We don't do much gift exchanging among my family. Several years ago I started a tradition of only exchanging home made gifts among the adults. Most of the gifts tend to be food related but my daughter made personalized Monopoly games for everybody. The money and deeds have family member's pictures on them.

So far as bicycling crap is concerned, last Spring I offered to do wrenching at my LBS in exchange for bike parts. I can't think up stuff that I want fast enough to trade for the work that I do. For example, I picked up a pair of Ultegra 9-speed brifters just to keep as spares because I doubt they will be available for very much longer.

[Beverly]

I received a Turbo Cat lighting system for the bike. The best present was a phone call from the grandson and his wife in SC telling me I'm going to be a great-grandma again. My great granddaughter, Abbi, recently turned two and she's going to have a baby brother next summer.

[howsteepisit]

Well, I got a IPOD, and my said I could buy meself a Garmin 305 forthe bike. I am blessed.

[OBXBIKR]

A couple of Lance Armstrong books that I didn't have (although I guess Lance's old news now.) A framed collage of pics from my cross country tour last summer. Also a bunch of other books and some CD's, and from my lovely wife, a sign for my office that says "It's 5:00 Somewhere" (we"re Parrotheads.)

[DnvrFox]

I got my wife a large plank for mounting on the wall.

The saying?

"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

She loves it and it is likely going over the fireplace.

[jppe]

Like Dnvr, I'm expecting a delivery from UPS for a Garmin Edge 305 with HR and Cadence......I just have to be able to download and view all the numbers, charts and graphs for HR, speed, distance, elevation, climbing profile etc. I'm not sure how this is going to change the excel spreadsheet I built 6 years ago that has lots of colorul graphs but I'm okay with change. I'm okay with change. I'm okay with change........